—Dad's 1989 New Year's Message!1/1/89DO 2500

—It's Gotta Happen SOON!

1. (Family sings, "I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever.") Amen, PTL! Well, those songs you're singing are light happy songs of praise to the Lord. But let's think right now about what kind of songs you'll be singing in the Great Tribulation & great privation. Do you suppose you'll be singing light songs like that? I don't know, it just seems that in view of the future, we need to spend some time getting serious with the Lord. Maybe it's because of my years in churches, but some of those choruses sound so much like them—so "la-di-da-di-da!"—They don't know the first thing about serving the Lord or being sober about World conditions, all they know are those light little ditties that they sing!

2. You've heard me sing many of them, I've led you in them. But the closer we get to the real tough days that are coming, I don't think that's exactly the kind of song I would be singing in prison. What do you think? (Fam: Amen.)

3. What kind of song would you sing in prison? Let me hear a few volunteers. (Fam: The first one that comes to my mind is "Make Me a Blessing.") That's a good one. (Fam: "Jesus, Lover of My Soul.") Amen, that's a beautiful one, yes. (Fam: "I'd Rather Have Jesus.") Amen, that's a good one. (Fam: "Jesus Saviour, Pilot Me.") That's one I used to always sing if some other light song went through my head & I wanted to get it out of my head.

4. I would almost always sing "Jesus Saviour, Pilot Me" or "I'm So Glad I Learned to Trust Him." "Trust Thee" is the way I used to sing it. (Techi: "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes unto the Hills.") Amen, that's a good one. (Fam: "Onward Christian Soldiers.") Amen, that's a sober fighting marching song. (Fam: "Jesus Never Fails‚ Heaven & Earth will pass away, but Jesus never fails.") Amen, as long as you really sing them to the Lord, especially prayer songs, praise songs‚ encouraging songs, then they really have depth & meaning.

5. Who else? (Fam: "His Name Is Wonderful.") Beautiful song. Somebody else here? (Fam: "Jesus Is a Rock") Amen. (David: "I Can Hardly Wait for the Day.") I don't know that one. Watchman used to sing it in prison? (Fam: He got the song in prison.) Can you sing it for us? Can you lead them all to sing it for us? (Fam: "I can hardly wait for the day, I know it's not far away. I can hardly wait for the day, I see Him comin' in the clouds to take me away from this place.) Well, that's a sober song. PTL! Hallelujah! TYJ! Help us‚ Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen‚ TYL!

6. Do you think it's closer? (Fam: Amen.) How close do you think it is? You've had lots of Bible prophecy‚ what day are you singing about when you sing that song? What day do you think you're singing about? (David: When Jesus comes back.) Amen. Hallelujah! TYJ! PTL!

7. Help us‚ Lord, in Jesus' name! Lord, we're gathered here before You this evening as we start this new year, looking not backward, but looking forward & wanting to hear from You‚ Lord! Whatever You want to give us & whatever You need to tell us, we ask You to prepare us for what's ahead. What do You want to tell us, Lord? TYJ! PTL!

8. I asked my Grandfather a question one time: I used to sometimes go with him to his lectures to operate his stereopticon. You don't know what a stereopticon is, but it's an old-fashioned slide projecting machine he'd use to show his colour slides to illustrate his lectures. And I said, "Father Brandt, I never see you use a single note, nothing. You just get up & speak extemporaneously, you just seem to know what you're going to say." I said, "How do you do it?" He said, "Well, I spend the time beforehand filling my heart with what I feel the Lord wants me to talk about, & 'out of the fullness of the heart'," he said, quoting the Scripture, "the mouth speaketh!"—Mat.12:34b.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW!

9. You know, Mama really needed to marry a prophet because she always wants to know the future!—If not the distant future, at least the immediate future!—"What are we going to do tomorrow, what are we going to do next week?" Sometimes she just wants to know "What are we going to do today?—What shall we do this afternoon?" And I often have to tell her, "I don't even know what I'm going to do the next hour! How am I going to tell you what we're going to do this afternoon or tomorrow or next week?" "Boast not thyself of tomorrow‚ you know not what a day shall bring forth!"—Prov.27:1.

10. "Take no (anxious) thought for tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day (today) is the evil thereof."—Mat.6:34. We're not to worry about tomorrow. That doesn't mean we're not to plan for tomorrow & prepare for tomorrow, but we're not to worry about tomorrow, to fret about tomorrow. I used to have an old poem hanging on the wall of our Tabernacle along with Scriptures, & it went something like this: "When we're trusting we're not heard to fret. When we're fretting we're not trusting yet!"

11. We're not to worry or fret about tomorrow. We're just to trust the Lord & whatever He brings, whatever the day brings forth, just to trust Him for whatever comes. Now that's not to say that Mama is wrong in wanting to know what's coming so she can prepare for it, or so I don't spring one of my surprises on her & she has to suddenly change plans or something!

CHANGES, CHALLENGES & SHAKE-UPS!—WHY WE NEED'M!

12. Of course, I like surprises! I really sort of like to shock people. And I must admit, I like changes. I had them all my life & I found they're good for me, & sometimes if I've been in a place for a few weeks or at least a few months, I begin to get a little bored & tired of that particular situation. By then I've found out about all I need to know about it, about all I want to know about it, I've explored it, I've seen the people & I pretty much know what it looks like, where it's at, what the people are like, what the food is like & what the weather's like. When you come to a new place, all that is intriguing, fascinating to learn. I'm always especially fascinated with people in a new location‚ new people.

13. But by & by, you get pretty used to it & you feel a little bit like Alexander the Great did; they say he wept because there were no more Worlds to conquer. Well of course, we know now that he was wrong‚ he just didn't realise there were more Worlds to conquer! He'd never even found the New World, North & South America, he didn't even know they existed. He'd never even found the Old World of the East, some of the oldest cultures & oldest civilisations that have ever existed. He knew about India because he'd gotten that far, & perhaps he'd heard of China. I don't know why he didn't think it was necessary for him to go on to China. Frankly, I think he & his men were probably worn out & he just made that as an excuse‚ that he didn't think the rest of the World was worth conquering.

14. Just think, he missed some of the greatest civilisations we know of, the Chinese & the Japanese & Southeast Asians. So I believe he may have been bored. But I don't think anybody that travels or can travel should ever get bored.—Although they might get bored with one place, having gotten used to it & learned all about it. In our travels in the United States when we were in evangelistic work, we, of course‚ were already very familiar with the culture & the language & the people & their habits & their looks & their ways, so we didn't really have to get used to the people. Most of it was just getting used to the different places.

15. But by using a map I usually learned more about the city & its streets & how to get somewhere in a hurry than the people who were born & raised there & lived there all their lives! They were usually astonished at the shortcuts & the shorter routes that I found because they never even used a city map. They didn't think they needed one. After all, they always went the same way to work, to school‚ to church & they never did anything different. Like my father–in-law once said‚ "I always do the same thing every day, I never have to make any decisions."—What a boring life! He said, "If I had to live like you folks, I'd go mad!" I believe he probably would've!

16. We thought he was already a little mad because he was so satisfied with his way of life, same thing every day, back to the same schedule every day, the same meals every day, the same work every day.—The same house for 40-50 years, the same family, same unsanitary wife who never kept a clean house & passed that sad habit on to her daughter, Eve. He got used to it where it didn't bother him any more. Because they have no changes‚ what? (Fam: They fear not God!)—Psa.55:19. He certainly proved that. He was what he considered a good church Christian, & I believe he & his wife were saved.

17. But he could never quite savvy us, why we couldn't settle down & why I couldn't stick to my pastorate & why we couldn't continue in the ways of the System & be an ordinary understandable denominational preacher & earn a good living for my wife & four children! Why did we have to run around like "Gospel Gypsies," as he called us. My other relatives weren't quite so generous, they often called us Gospel bums! They said, "You just go bummin' around the country seeking handouts!"

18. That's what they call a church offering, handouts. Well, yes, of course it is. But, you know, if it's done in a nice dignified lovely church atmosphere with pipe organ music & a lovely choir which eases the extraction, like the dentist's novocaine, in the usual customary manner & according to tradition at the right time in the service, the pious preacher also manages to ask for a handout!—Only he convinces you that you're really getting your money's worth & it's a real privilege.

19. You're supposed to enjoy giving to the church. Of course, sometimes they're like the lady who gave a quarter to the bum & said, "Now, I don't give this to you because I have to, but because I enjoy giving." And you know his answer, "Well, Madam, if you enjoy it so much, why don't you give me a dollar & have a real good time!"—Ha!

20. Some of these Systemites & church people are in such a rut, they've been doing the same thing over & over & over, day in & day out, Sunday after Sunday, month after month & year after year, & the same old thing & the same old preacher & the same old sermons & the same old habits & the same old grind & the same old boredom! But since it's their "duty to God," they go ahead to church on Sunday morning & count it as a real terrible sin, a "mortal sin" if they miss it! But usually they're so relieved when it's over, & they scoot out the front door & try to avoid the preacher's hand if they can, lest he feel something's wrong or sense that they've done something they shouldn't have!

21. Then you're so relieved that you've done your little duty for God & you're so thankful to get it over with. Now you can get out & relax & do the things you want to do!—Things that are a lot more lively & exciting & interesting & thrilling & sensational & whatnot than what they've got in church! I don't know, maybe you feel some of my classes are about that dead sometimes. (Fam: No!) Well, it takes me a little while to warm up sometimes. But I guess you remember occasions on which I did get a little stirred up & woke you & warmed you up too!

22. So I must admit that I like change. But I never found a woman yet who liked change. Women are born nesters, they love to settle down & grow their roots.—And a lot of men are the same way. Then once they're comfortably fixed & comfortably settled down & got everything pretty well organised & taken care of & schedules & ways & means & places & staff & everything pretty well running smoothly, they feel like, "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" Why improve, why change it if everything's going all right?

23. I'm not saying this just about Mama‚ now, don't get the wrong idea. I have found all women are that way! Eve was the same. That's the way God made them, most women, to be settlers, to want to build nests. Even in the animal kingdom it's the same way because they want a safe & secure & fairly reliable situation in which to live, take care of their husband & raise their children, their young ones, whatever they are.—Their chicks or cubs or whatever.

24. It's usually the females to whom God has given that yen & talent to build the nests, & it's perfectly respectable, it's perfectly understandable. It's pretty hard to rear kids on the road, it's a little difficult to rear young ones if you have to travel & never settle down & never have any sure resting place for your head.

25. Both Jesus & Paul testified that they had no resting place. Jesus said, "The birds of the air have their nests & the foxes have their holes, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head."—Lk.9:58. And Saint Paul said, "To this day I have no certain dwelling place."—1Cor.4:11. But he made the best of all those situations by saying, "Whatsoever state I am in, I have learned to be content."—Phil.4:11. Now it's one thing to be content with your lot, whatever it is, especially if you can't change it.—If you're not very happy or pleased with it, well, sometimes you just need to learn to be content if you can't change it & if there's not some way to make it better.

26. But you don't want to get in such a rut & such a hole that you're so content that you don't even want to change it, you don't even want to improve things in any way!—Like most of the System, most ordinary Systemites. They get up at the same time every day, eat the same breakfast cereal every morning‚ go to the same work every day, go through the same schedule all day, come home to the same house & do the same chores & settle down & watch the same TV shows & go to bed at the same time & never have to make any decisions.—What a bore!

27. I think that's one reason the Lord allows some great cataclysms & disasters & tragedies & sudden changes, whatever they are‚ to shake us out of our lethargy, to shake us out of our ruts, to shake us out of our snug little holes we crawl into & to wake us up.—Wake us up! Sometimes even break us up so we'll get shook up & awakened & really assess our situation more, have to make a decision‚ have to pray, have to beseech God desperately!

CALLING OUT TO GOD FOR HELP!

28. "The day that you cry unto Me with a whole heart I will answer!"—Jer.29:13. "Ask & see if I will not pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to hold it."—Mal.3:10. What's that one in Jeremiah? (Fam: "Call unto Me, & I will answer thee, & show thee great & mighty things, which thou knowest not."—Jer.33:3.)

29. But you've got to call! Jeremiah was weeping, we call him the weeping Prophet. He said, "No man careth for my soul. No man is concerned about the condition of Jerusalem & my people."—Psa.142:4; Lam.1:12‚16,21. Daniel prayed, "O God, save us! What are we going to do?"—Dan.9:4-9. He wasn't satisfied, he wasn't just rocking along like the high priest & some of the rest of the religious people.

30. Daniel wanted to know what's ahead‚ like Mama! "What's the future hold for us? What's going to happen?" He was concerned about the lethargy & the spiritual laziness of the people, & especially their wickedness & their sins & their shortcomings, all that was wrong with the Israelites.—And it seems like just about everything was wrong with them! He was worried about them, he was concerned about them.

31. In his case he needed to fret about them because they were a mess! He knew they weren't obeying like they should. He knew that they were displeasing the Lord & he was worried that more judgements of God were going to fall on them, in fact, they already had. What got Daniel so shook up & so concerned about his people & himself & what was going to happen to them? Where was he? (Fam: Babylon.) Babylon‚ was that his home town? Is that where he'd built his house? Is that where he was from? What had happened to him? Children, you know some of these answers. (Techi: He was a captive.) He was a literal prisoner.

32. At least he had been taken there as a prisoner. Later on, because he was so smart & so Spirit-led & so wise, he was exalted. At one point, his three best friends were thrown into the fiery furnace for disobedience! Then another time he was such a prisoner that he was thrown into the lions' den for more disobedience!—I bet he really did some praying that night!

33. The Lord loves for you to cry out to Him in real sincerity, & if necessary, in desperation, because He loves to hear your voice call on Him. Mama, how does it feel to have your daughter call to you for help? (Maria: I want to help her.) Doesn't it feel good? Don't you like to have her ask you? (Maria: Yes.) I really enjoy answering their questions, I enjoy helping them. If they never needed me & never even talked to me & never asked me about anything, I wouldn't feel that they cared much about me or loved me or were concerned.

34. A good parent loves to have his children need him & call on him for help & ask him to help them solve their problems. So children‚ don't ever hesitate to always feel free because we like for you to ask us. We enjoy helping you. When a child goes off its own way & forsakes father or mother & just wanders off with no concern or care & acts like he doesn't even need them or even want them, how do you think they feel about that? (Fam: Sad.)

35. Well, it's the same with the Lord!—He loves your fellowship, He loves you to talk to Him, He loves you to ask Him because He knows that you do need Him. And you don't know everything, you don't know all the solutions, you don't know the future, so He enjoys answering you & helping you.

36. But if you show too little interest, if you don't call upon Him in the day of trouble, He's not too pleased. In fact, if you don't call upon Him, He'll give you days of trouble so you'll have to call on Him! It's a shame that the Lord sometimes has to give us trials & tribulations & temptations & afflictions so that we have to call on Him. We are forced to turn around & face Him & get things right, repent, confess. There are quite a few verses about healing where He says we have to confess our faults one unto another that we may be healed, repent of our sins.—Jam.5:16; Prov.28:13.

37. If you don't seek the Lord, He'll give you something to seek Him about! King David said when he was getting along all right, he didn't call on the Lord, didn't seek the Lord. But he said, "When I went astray, in my trouble I turned to the Lord & called upon Him!"—Psa.119:67; 18:6. So that's usually why the Lord sends trials, troubles‚ tribulations‚ privation‚ etc.—to make us call upon Him.

38. We are so amazingly privileged & marvellously protected, we have so little trouble or problems‚ sometimes that almost worries me. I wonder, "Well, Lord, are we doing enough? Are we doing what we're supposed to be doing? Are we doing everything we can? Why are things going so smoothly? How come we don't have more trials & testings? How come we don't have more persecutions? Are we living Godly enough?" Look how the Lord protects us & has protected us from any severe accidents, any severe illnesses‚ any severe legal problems, etc.

39. I sometimes feel sort of like what the Devil complained about Job.—He said, "Lord, I can't even touch him, You've built a wall around him‚ a hedge, so I can't even touch him!"—Job.1:9,10. The Devil wanted to tempt & test Job‚ & maybe the Lord wanted to see what he would do too.—I'm sure the Lord already knew, but the Devil's the one who doesn't know the future, except some of what the Lord has already revealed.

SATAN'S COMING COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM!

40. The Devil reads the Bible too, you know. I'm sure the Antichrist probably even reads the Bible, has read it & knows what it has to say about him, & he intends to fulfil it! But the Devil doesn't know anything new, he just imitates the Lord. If Jesus is the Messiah‚ the Saviour of the World, then he wants to be that too. And if Jesus reveals Himself by appearing & doing miracles & saving people, Satan wants to do that too, to win their hearts to follow him. If Jesus has promised a thousand-year Millennium of righteousness on Earth, His Kingdom right here on this Earth, the Devil wants to imitate that too! He tries to imitate almost everything that God has done or is going to do!

41. Did you know that the Devil has a trinity too? Do you know who they are? In Satan's trinity, who's the father? (Fam: Satan.) Who is his son? (Fam: The Antichrist.) And who is his unholy spirit? (Fam: The False Prophet.) Right, you've learned some things, you haven't forgotten, even though we haven't studied much Bible prophecy for quite awhile.

42. He's imitated the Lord in every way, & he's going to reveal himself sort of like Jesus did when He came to Earth, & I believe, very soon. I think he's just preparing the World for the ideal time to receive him. Do you think that God prepared the World, Mankind, to receive Jesus in His first coming?—All you have to do is study history to see how He prepared the World in every way! He prepared the culture, He prepared the government‚ the language, He prepared almost everything you could think of for Jesus' first coming.

43. And He allowed the Jews to prepare themselves—He came at a time when they were just about the most wicked & rebellious they'd ever been.—When they were worshipping their own self-righteousness & their own laws & customs & temple & religion. Their leaders were enjoying the worship of the people, they were gods to the people. The people had forgotten God & His laws & were really lost, & the poor sinners really needed help. They looked at the church people & they knew they didn't want to be like them, the ones who were oppressing them, the ones who made them poor & exacted heavy taxes on them. They saw how wicked & hypocritical they were, & they certainly knew that wasn't where it was at, just as you did in the days when He called you.

KNOWING YOU'RE IN GOD'S WILL!

44. Since we started serving Him‚ the Lord has never failed, always blessed & has supplied our needs as we do His Will & faithfully work for Him, TTL! He's faithful to supply "all your needs according to His riches in glory!"—Phil.4:19.

45. Well, some of us need healing, but we're getting it, TTL! We're going to get it. Thank the Lord, I'm feeling much much better now since you folks prayed for me, PTL!

46. So what could you have better? But as I said, sometimes I wonder‚ "Lord, everything's going so good." Maybe you think I'm a little bit like the old lady who, when they asked her how she felt‚ said, "Well, I feel fine. But whenever I feel fine I always feel bad because I know it's not going to be long before I feel bad again!"—What a sad life to live like that, always expecting the worst, unable to enjoy the best because you're always fearful, traumatic that the worst is going to happen.

47. Just think how fearful some people must feel‚ people who don't have the Lord—especially backsliders or Christians who know they're out of God's Will & disobeying the Lord. They're just waiting for impending judgement! As Hebrews says, they're always afraid, not knowing what minute God's going to strike them down & punish them for their wickedness & sins & disobediences.—Heb.10:26‚27. At least you know you're in God's Will‚ or you wouldn't be here. That's always a real comfort, to know you're in God's Will.

48. I know I'm in God's Will because I'm doing what I know I'm supposed to do.—Not just tonight, I know this is God's Will too, but every day I put out a little more of the Word, a little more food for the sheep, just about every day.

49. There are three things that wait for no man. I think Shakespeare just mentioned two of them, time & tide, but there's also the next newspaper that I have to read because I have to search it & make sure that I'm feeding you all the news you need to know & all the news I need to know, that the Family needs to know. I need to read the timetable to know just where we're at.—And interpret that news for our people to make sure they get it.

50. I believe our Family is probably the most well-informed religious group on this Earth. You know Bible history, what has already happened. You know what's happening now, what's wrong with the World & the church & the economy & the political situation—the whole works—& why all these wars & everything. And you know what's going to happen!

"OPEN WIDE THY MOUTH & I WILL FILL IT!"—Psa.81:10

51. Mama always wants to know what's going to happen! Well, she really had a lot of faith tonight, she didn't even ask me what I was going to talk about. She just knew that I'd open my mouth & the Lord would fill it. In fact, I think I said, "Don't ask me what I'm going to talk about because I don't know!" Really.

52. Why should I worry about what I'm going to talk about when the Lord says just open your mouth & I'll fill it?—Psa.81:10. So why should I worry about what I'm going to say? Oh, sometimes I drop a little hint what I might talk about, if the Preacher comes. Do you know what that expression means? (Fam: It means if the Lord really anoints you...) Yes‚ if the Holy Spirit comes, if the Lord gives the message then I'll give it. That's why I have perfect calm, rest, peace. I can lie down & take a catnap five minutes before time for me to get up here. I don't worry about it, I hardly even give it a single thought because I know all the time I spent worrying before for years & years, planning what I was going to say & planning what I was going to preach or even planning Bible studies, it was a waste of time!

53. Well, maybe it wasn't a waste of time, it was good for me. But almost invariably, I'd get up & talk about something else, & I'd give you what the Lord knew you needed & not what I thought was a good idea!—"Lord, I want to talk about this, I want to tell them that. Lord, I think this would be a good Bible study, let's study this chapter," etc. You know how far afield I've wandered sometimes, picking daisies along some other side-path, & sometimes wandered so far away I forgot what I was even going to talk about.

54. In fact, last New Year's I asked you all for your plans & vision for the New Year & your verse, etc., remember? But when it got too late that night I said, "Well, maybe we'll have time tomorrow." Then something happened, we all got so busy the next day, New Year's day, so I said, "Well, maybe we'll have it next week," & I never did tell you what was going to happen last year!—Now I don't have to tell you, it's already happened, TTL!

MAMA—ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD!

55. Well, I promised to tell you a little bit about this year, the future. That shouldn't be too hard to do because we know a lot about what's going to happen. Well‚ Mama was so curious, wondering what I was going to say now... (Maria: I just said I was looking forward to it.) Yes. She's always looking forward, GBH!

56. If she didn't look forward, a lot of things wouldn't get done! She does a lot of the managing & pushing of projects & caring for personnel & doing things that need to be done that she knows I don't have time for. That's what Peter does too, takes care of business, all those details that I don't have time to take care of. And he's done a good job of it‚ & so has she, TTL!

57. I'm so thankful the Lord has given them to me to help take some of that burden off of my shoulders so that I can devote my time to the Word, in prayer about the Word & dishing out the Word to feed the sheep. Of course, they're a part of the mill that helps process the grain too, & get it to the sheep‚ as well as all these other things too, taking care of the sheep & the administration & problems & all kinds of things.

58. As I was lying down resting for a few minutes before coming here I thought, "Well, Lord, I've only got about five minutes now, don't You think maybe it's about time You started showing me what I'm supposed to talk about?" Well, the Lord is patient & merciful, & just like you're a little indulgent with a child sometimes, & go ahead & give them something, so the Lord is with us. If children keep asking & asking, finally we give in a little bit, & we try to please them by giving them what they're asking for.

59. So all of a sudden a picture came to my mind. I was really asking the Lord, "Now, is this the right subject? Should I talk about this, Lord? What do You want me to do tonight?" And the funniest thing happened. Do you want to know about it? (Fam: Yes!!)

CURIOSITY & WANTING TO KNOW!

60. See‚ that's a part of teaching‚ to make people curious, to make them really want the answer. You ask what are known as rhetorical questions‚ you ask your audience questions that you know they don't know the answer to. But when you ask them a question they don't know the answer to, Man is made in such a way that he's very curious, he naturally wants to know the answer. The minute anybody doesn't know something, their normal natural reaction is to want to know. Man is just born curious.

61. Just watch a baby playing in his early formative years.—He'll examine everything. First he'll look at it, then he'll crawl over & get ahold of it, pick it up, feel what it feels like. What's the next thing he tries?—Puts it in his mouth & sees if it's good to eat. That's how they find out what is good to eat & what isn't. The only trouble with David was he used to like to eat dirt!—I finally had to slap his hands real hard after about the third warning & the third time. He was around a year old then & crawling around out in the yard & I said‚ "You do that again, David, & I'm going to slap your hand!"

62. He knew exactly what I meant, & I knew it. He just looked at me, & then finally when he thought my attention had been distracted elsewhere, he grabbed another handful & shoved it right in his mouth! Smart boy, but not as smart as his Grandpa! Because he didn't know anything about wide angle vision, 180-degree vision! But I saw him do it just as clear as can be although I was looking & talking to somebody else. I saw him scoop up that handful of dirt out of the flowerbed & whackie—right into his mouth it went!

63. I said, "David!" & I grabbed his chin & opened his mouth & I stuck my finger in there & pried that dirt out of his mouth & brushed it off the outside of his mouth‚ not too gently either!—And I said, "Now you're going to get what I told you you were going to get! You disobeyed!" And wham wham wham, I hit his hand hard enough that I knew it hurt, & he started to cry & he looked at me & I'll bet he didn't come close to me for another week! (Maria: He used to hold a grudge when he was little.)

64. When he was little, he would really get offended, really hold a grudge! Every time I'd bump into him around the house or the yard or anywhere, if he was upset at me he'd frown & take off the other direction. He doesn't still do that, does he? (Fam: No.) (Maria: He's a good boy now.) My, how he has improved!—Ha! TTL!

EXPERIENCE: THE TOUGHEST TEACHER!—EXAMPLE OF JETHRO!

65. You learn so much through experience, & even a baby crawls around & tries everything to see if it's good or bad, etc. Experience is the best teacher, but sometimes the toughest. And if we don't learn from warnings by the Lord, if we don't learn to obey His Word when He's giving it to us, etc., He'll sometimes let us learn by bitter experience! That's the toughest school, the school of hard knocks & bitter experience, & I'll tell you, you learn then!

66. I'll never forget when we were out on the road, in Amarillo, Texas, when Jethro was getting fed-up with our classes. All the time travelling, no matter where we went in the Cruiser, our little family'd get together there in the little tiny combined diningroom/livingroom in the front of the cruiser. They'd all sit around & I sat back in the corner & we'd have a Bible study & we'd have lessons. Too bad Mama wasn't there then, Mama Eve never recorded any of those things. About the only thing she ever was inspired to record‚ & she even knew shorthand, was when Grandmother would give a prophecy or there would be some very great manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Thank God she got a few of those‚ some of those early ones by Grandmother or we wouldn't have had them.

67. Anyway‚ we had just pulled over to the side of the highway‚ one of those little rest-stop parks or picnic areas, & I think we'd spent the night there. And I insisted that every morning as soon as everybody had breakfast we always had Bible study.

68. So we were talking, teaching & learning, & after class Deborah & Jethro were having some kind of big argument down the road, & he was quite stirred up & really agitated. So I strolled down the road & I said, "What's the problem, kids?" And he didn't want to say anything, but Deborah wasn't afraid to deliver his message. She said, "Well‚ Dad, you know he's a grown man & now we're married & he's getting kind of tired of sitting in these classes doing nothing! He wants to go back to the Ranch (TSC) where he can go fishing & hunting! He wants to go back & take care of the Ranch. He gets tired & bored of sitting in these classes."

69. Well‚ he didn't really have a mind to grasp a lot of things. I suppose if you didn't understand what I'm talking about you'd get bored.—Like the little boy in the Sunday school class: The teacher finally got his attention one day & he was just fascinated. Afterwards she said, "Little Johnny, what was it I said today that got you so interested?—I finally got your attention!" He said‚ "I don't know." She said, "You were just staring at me." "Oh, I was just trying to figure out whether it was your upper or your lower jaw that was working!"—Ha!

70. You'd be surprised how people can stare at you sometimes, yet their mind is a thousand miles away! So don't be surprised if I ask you questions. That's the way I used to do it in my school classes. If I thought I'd lost somebody's attention I'd immediately ask them a question & usually they'd come back from their dream World‚ "Uhh, what did you say, what was that?" And I'd say, "Would one of you other students please repeat the question?" And some of them couldn't remember the question either. So I am most apt to ask somebody a question if I see they're drifting.

GOD'S TESTS!—WHY TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS?

71. Some people really miss God's blessing by failing His tests. Sometimes He sends them a test, & that's the last straw, it's the thing that breaks the camel's back. It's the final thing they can't stand & they blow up like Job's wife did when her husband wound up on that ash pile scraping his boils with a piece of broken pottery.

72. She'd gone through everything so far, destruction of all their wealth, destruction of their house, the death of her children. You say, "Well, that woman stood a lot, she really stood a lot." But you see, the Lord knew just how far she would go & how much she could stand & He was not only testing Job but He was also testing her when He allowed Job to get down to that state, broke, family swept away, home destroyed, etc. Then his last test there was the contempt of his wife. But at the same time that was her last test too! You never hear anything further about her.

73. She got so disgusted with him she chided him to curse God & die!—Job 2:9. Imagine, he was without a home, without a family & penniless, & now, on top of all of that, he had to go & get sick—covered with boils! How many of you have ever had a boil? I'm glad the rest of you have missed anything so painful.

74. One time when I was just a little boy about Techi's age, I got two boils under each knee right here in the hollow of my knee‚ during one of Mother's series of meetings. I can remember walking around stiff-legged with bandages around my knees. Of course‚ I suppose that was a test for my Mother too‚ here she was a healing evangelist.—"Physician‚ heal thy son!" (See Luk.4:23.)

75. Well, the Lord did heal me right after that‚ but I'm sure it humbled my Mother & made her get desperate. She had the whole congregation pray for me &, thank the Lord, somebody worked on them & the cores popped out & the puss flowed & got rid of all that corruption & they healed up. I don't know how I ever got them unless it was just a test from the Lord‚ or because I'd sat on some dirty chair & got infected or something.

76. But there was Job sitting there with all those painful boils. Can you imagine a more pitiful sight?—Sitting on an ash heap scraping the boils with a piece of broken pottery.—Apparently to try to scrape the heads off so the cores would pop out & the infection could flow out. Oh, they are a mess & they are painful! And when his wife saw him sitting there like that‚ her last test, she flunked it! She stuck by him through all the rest, but that was too much for her & she finally blew up & said, "Why don't you just curse God & die?" She was sick of him, tired of him, & thought he wasn't any good to her any more. She didn't realise that he was good for her & that that was her last test. So she absolutely flunked it.

77. Well, she was as good as cursing God herself! She wanted him to curse God too & just die & get out of the way & not be such a nuisance. Well, God has had to put some people through some pretty severe tests.

78. What is a test? Didn't you go to school? Didn't you have any tests? (Fam: It's to see what you know & what you don't know.) Yes, that's what most school tests are for. But what are most of God's tests for? Are they to find out your knowledge of the facts? Why does God usually test you? (Fam: To teach us.) To teach you things, yes.

79. But what is He testing? (Fam: Our faith, trying our faith.) Right!—Mostly your faith. To see how far your faith goes. Sometimes He will test you just to see how much you can stand. Dear old Dr. Mitchell had a lot of tests, bless his heart‚ & he used to say, "Sometimes God tests you to make you humble." "Well," I asked him, "Once we've gone through that, why do we keep having more tests?" He answered, "To see if you're still humble!" That was a pretty good answer.

80. God tests you to see if you have faith, to see how far your faith is going to go, how strong it is, & to test your love, to see how much you love Him, to see if you'll still love Him even when He spanks you. Sometimes children get a little bit miffed at something you do that doesn't exactly please them, & all of a sudden they'll clam up & get real sober & disappointed & unhappy because you didn't do what they wanted you to. Well, maybe when God deals with you like that it's a test of your love, of your obedience‚ to see how much you love Him, how much you're willing to put up with & stand.—Will you still love & obey?

81. And if your temper is a little short or your patience is a little short‚ God is apt to test it all the more because He knows that's your weak point, that you need to strengthen it. And He knows that He has to test you, first of all to see if you are humble‚ & then to see if you're still humble. So tests are a very necessary part of God's education.—Not educating God‚ of course, He finds out that way‚ but educating you‚ testing you!

82. And, I'm sorry to say some people have flunked. I'm not talking about you.—Although sometimes maybe you have flunked, or at least maybe you thought you flunked. Sometimes we do. Sometimes I have, I've gotten impatient with God.—"Why, Lord? Why me? Why this? Why that?"

83. Thank the Lord, He always brings me through.—I must say, usually with Mama's help to encourage me & to reason with me & show me what's the matter & what the Lord's trying to do, or just to encourage my faith even when we don't seem to have an answer. But sooner or later I wake up to what God's up to & after‚ & realise what He is testing me about & trying me about.—Usually somewhere where I've failed or flunked or murmured or whatever it is I've done, & then when I've confessed, the Lord always answers, always heals, whatever it may be, TTL!

84. God takes us, His Own dearly beloved children‚ & puts us through testing periods & educational trials & tribulations. Look at His dealings in the past with the Jews! He really put'm through a lot of tests & really put them through the mill to see how much faith they had & to see if they would murmur & complain.—And they did! He finally got so fed up with them, He left the parents all rotting & dying in the wilderness & only let their children enter into the Promised Land!

85. Sometimes the sins of the fathers visit the third & fourth generation, & too often children—unless they're rewired by the Lord & really saved & changed & made new people like you—take after their fathers & mothers. …

86. … But for the sake of the few who have believed & obeyed & pleased the Lord, as the Apostle says, "For the fathers' sake," for the sake of some who did follow & obey & please the Lord, the Lord has been patient. But every now & then He has to clobber them again for their sins. And in their affliction what did they do? (Fam: Cry unto the Lord.) Cry to the Lord!

87. It seems to take that to get some people to turn around & look to the Lord & confess their sins & repent & ask God to save them. If you don't learn to pray, the Lord knows how to teach you.—Ahem!

BACK TO THE JETHRO "EXPERIENCE" STORY!

88. I'll finish the little story about Jethro now: I said to him, "Well, Jethro, you need these classes!" He was embarrassed because all my kids knew all the answers, & he didn't know anything about the Bible, he was a total pagan heathen. His mother & dad used to go to the Methodist Church which has about as little religion as anybody had!—Like the fellow who came to the office & asked the office boy, "I'd like to see somebody with a little authority." He answered, "Well, you can see me!—I have about as little as anybody around here!"

89. Every question I asked about the Bible or anything, my kids always knew the answers. So dear Jethro was really embarrassed about that because he didn't know anything. His mother & father had about as little religion as anybody.

90. The Methodist Church is notorious, at least in the States, for their modernism. Most of them, especially the big rich ones, are as modernistic as they can be, unbelieving, don't believe the Bible any more, don't believe in life after death, & believe in evolution.—Like the biggest Baptist church in New York City which was built by Rockefeller for Harry Emerson Fosdick, its pastor. He was a notorious, horrible modernist, unbeliever in the Bible. He even had a statue of Charles Darwin in the foyer of his church, along with some other famous unbelievers, atheists, sceptics, etc.!

91. In its big rotunda, a giant hallway like you'd find in a palace, there are all these alcoves with statues of these famous men. It didn't matter if they believed in God or not. He didn't believe in God either! No wonder the Rockefellers are such a mess, to go to a church like that & build a church like that for a guy like Harry Emerson Fosdick!

92. Well, I don't know what Jethro's got to do with Fosdick! But anyway, his parents weren't saved, they didn't know anything about real salvation, they just went to church & went through the form just like you did in Catholic church. Even the Catholics are closer to the truth than some of those poor Methodists! So poor Jethro‚ he was an outright pagan. He didn't know nothin' from nothin' about the Bible or God or anything. But somebody had supposedly won him to the Lord on his junior college campus in Miami, some friend of Eve's‚ a fellow who really did do some witnessing & passed out tracts on the college campus.

93. So, as usual, dear Deborah didn't mind telling me‚ giving me a piece of her mind & saying, "He's just too bored, he can't stand any more! And the kids embarrass him by always answering all the questions that he doesn't know & he feels like a dummy! He's embarrassed & he's bored & he's a married man now‚ & he wants to get out & be independent on his own & he doesn't think he needs all that stuff anyway!"

94. "He's not planning to be a preacher or anything like that. He's going to go into business, & he'd rather go down & run Fred's Ranch, take care of the Ranch while we're gone!" I'd actually left Aaron & his cousin behind at that time to take care of it because they knew more about it. Jeth was nothing but a college sophomore from Miami who lived in the city all his life & didn't know the first thing about animals.—I don't think they even had a cat!

95. He was lazy as could be‚ & I knew all he'd want to do is sit all day fishing or go off in the woods hunting. That's something he really thought he knew about. But he really didn't even know how to fish or hunt, but he wanted to be a cowboy. My, how he loved those boots! He bought boots & Levis & a ten-gallon Stetson hat & all that stuff, & he'd swagger around, a gun on his hip & oh‚ he really put on a show! Until even when they made that "Ultimate Trip" documentary about the Family & TSC, they said, "Here comes Sheriff Jethro!" swaggering down the street. They actually made that crack about him‚ they saw through him.

96. "I want to go back to the Ranch!" he said. I answered, "But you need these classes, Jethro. If you're going to serve the Lord you need the Word!" "Well," he said, "I don't know whether I want to serve the Lord that way. I think maybe I could do better doing something else. Can't I go back & just make money for the Lord or something?" That's all he had in mind. His dream was to own a Thunderbird, that was his ultimate vision, if he could just own a Ford Thunderbird!

97. So anyway, I said, "Well, Jeth, you know the Lord is trying to teach you a few things, & the easiest way to learn them is by a teacher‚ to believe in your teacher & his experience so that you don't have to learn the hard way. To learn from one who knows & can teach you the easy way so you don't have to learn the hard way, that's the easiest thing to do. What you're going through now is the easy way."

98. So he said, "Well, Dad, I guess I'll just have to learn the hard way!"—So he & Deborah were determined to go back to the Ranch & I wasn't going to make him stay there. The worst thing in the World is to try to teach people who don't want to learn & don't want to be in classes & don't appreciate it.

99. So I said, "All right, if you kids want to go, you can go! Just take the car & go back to the Ranch. I'll let you help out back there & you can release those boys so they can come, they appreciate the classes. I know Aaron really appreciates it. You go back there & you can relieve them." So he said, "Okay, Dad, I'll learn the hard way," & he did!

"ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD!"—Eph.4:18

100. The only trouble is, with most people who say they want to learn the hard way, they go the hard way & it gets harder & harder, & they get harder & harder too! "For the way of the transgressor is hard!"—Prov.13:15.—Until they are absolutely "alienated from the life of God & darkened in their understanding!"—Eph.4:18. They have resisted so long until finally they have gone so far back they are "past feeling!"—Eph.4:19.

101. Backsliders who never repent & never come back have resisted God so long, have resisted the Truth so long, their conscience has become seared as with a hot iron! (1Tim.4:2)—Cauterised! Did you ever see anybody who had a cauterised wound? That was one of the old–fashioned methods of sealing a wound. I remember some guy I saw that had his ear cut off in WWI. Apparently they couldn't stop the bleeding, it's pretty difficult to bind a wound on your head like that, so they just made a bayonet red hot in the fire, & they laid it up against the side of his head, against that ear that was bleeding so badly, & it absolutely cauterised it.

102. It does two things—it sterilises the wound & it literally melts the flesh into scar tissue & stops the bleeding. But of course it hurts like Hell, it's a burn‚ but it stops the bleeding & it sterilises & seals the wound. And his ear was a mess‚ but it healed‚ all scar tissue.—That's what happens to some people's hearts & consciences when they want to go the hard way‚ learn all their lessons the hard way!

103. We have talked to a lot of people‚ & I'm sure you have witnessed to people who said, "No, not now." Every one who's done any witnessing at all has run across people that were hard: "Well, I know what you say is true. Yeah‚ I believe it, & some day I'll do it, but not right now!—I want to enjoy the World a little longer, I want to have some more fun before I give it all up!" And they keep resisting the Truth until their conscience becomes seared as with a hot iron, cauterised!—Scar tissue is tough, hard. I ought to know, I've got scars all over my body. It has no feeling at all, very little at least. You can touch it & there's no surface nerves, "past feeling!"

104. Imagine!—Their conscience is seared as with a hot iron!—Maybe that's what's happened to Deborah & Jethro. She helped to lead him astray. Of course he was always after the wrong thing anyway, money was his biggest interest. He oppressed the poor to get all their money, pitiful!—And to think that he did that in the Family! I feel sad when I hear about some of those backsliders who are going on television against us back there in the West again. It just shows that the Devil still hates us, our enemies still hate us there. So watch out! Be wise as serpents & harmless as doves amongst those wolves!—Mat.10:16.

105. Particularly beware of people who have been warned time & time again & have rejected it. Before we left the U.S. we did our best to deliver our souls to them, the best we could, we witnessed & we tried our best. How many of you were in the States at that time? Do you think the Family delivered their souls there? I'll tell you, they sure heard about us! We were headlines in the papers time & time again!

106. Oh, they were bitter against us too. The city & the officials were often very bitterly opposed to us. About the only place that really received us was Burlington, a city near Seattle. At one time we had something like 300 people living there, at a great big camp. Everybody else was mad at us & the Seattle papers were raving against us. We had trouble & arrests & everything in Seattle. But in Burlington they were just as sweet as could be, so I asked the Lord why.

107. Here we were living right there with them, & all they did was stick up for us, including the mayor & the chief of police. When the reporters descended on us in a deluge there, all the local people could do was give the best of reports & say the best things about us.

108. But I was a little disillusioned when I asked the Lord, "How come these people are so nice to us?" You know what happened?—All of a sudden I saw a check for $900 for our fuel oil bill! We had brought money to that neighbourhood, we were giving business to the local merchants, we were good for them so they stuck up for us!

109. Anyway, some of those people like Deb & Jeth went so far back, they wanted to learn the hard way. Well, they learned, but they didn't learn enough!—Apparently they didn't learn the hard way! They had plenty of tough times & plenty of hard things & now just about everybody in their personal family has been thrown in jail for something or other except Deborah herself.—Dear Jethro for fraud, & their kids for drugs & robbery & all kinds of things.—Their whole family's one big mess!

110. And her present so-called husband is a drug addict & he made a drug addict out of Deborah. He's always been crazy. His former friends say he was even in & out of institutions when he was young‚ when he was a teenager.—A nut, insane! Look how the System will take anybody who will talk against us & write a book against us, & help them & pay them to do it even if they're insane drug addicts!—And they'll even have them on their respectable television shows as long as they'll speak against us! They don't give a damn about their character or who they are or what they are or anything as long as they can use them against us!

111. I've prayed that God would … stop her [Deborah] from doing any more damage, & send that devil, Alexander, to the boobyhatch or somewhere where he can't do any more damage. I've even wondered why the Lord hasn't already. I guess the Lord is just using them—or letting the Devil use them—as tools to give us persecution, to test us, try us & see if we will come through the test as pure gold.—To see if we really are willing to suffer. For my own daughter to do what she's doing has caused me suffering.

TODAY'S VILE, VIOLENT, FILTHY WORLD!

112. So let me ask you a question now: What do you think I believe is going to happen this year? What do you think I believe God's going to do this year? What did He do to His Own children, the Jews—who were called God's children once upon a time—when they kept disobeying Him? His patience lasted just about so far & then what? Wham! Down came the boom & His judgements were sudden & swift & sure & terrible! The Lord talks about when their cup of iniquity is full.—Rev.18:5‚6. I have never seen the World so iniquitous as it is today! It is so perverted, so vile, so filthy, so fiendish, so Devilish, so God-damned vicious & violent & everything else!

113. Their music is violent, their art is vicious & violent, ugly! The music is ugly, it's ugly music. The musicians themselves are ugly too! My God, this guy‚ Michael Jackson, was supposed to be a Christian‚ a Jehovah's Witness.—He's not Jehovah's Witness, he's the Devil's witness! He's Satan's witness! As though the horror video that he first made wasn't bad enough, his latest album is called "Bad," & he's put some little kids in there called "Badder!"

114. To me, that is one of the worst things that these villains are doing, they're putting little children into their violent movies! And the innocent little baby screams because he is terrified of what's going on around him on the set in the movie! It's not hard to get poor little kids scared to death so they'll scream & scream. That's supposed to be entertaining? That's supposed to be entertainment?—Blood & guts & horrible violence & crashing & horrors of Hell! I've never seen such horror ever before!

115. And they're putting kids into these horrors, subjecting them to that! The little girl who played the part of the frightened little girl in "Poltergeist" finally went mad or something. You can't merely act out all those things & have all that stuff in your mind without it affecting you! Actors & actresses are supposed to sort of live the part until they act like they are the part. So the poor little girl who played that part in "Poltergeist" died this past year at the age of 12.

116. You can't subject poor impressionable sensitive little children to stuff like that‚ expect them to act those parts in those terrifying horror movies & not be affected by it‚ infected by it! And you can't tell me that those musicians can get up on stage & make that kind of racket & horror noise & hellish music & go through those hellish antics & expressions on their faces & banshee screams without getting demon-possessed! I was reading through the list of all the famous people who died this past year, & do you know which ones were the youngest?—Musicians! Modern musicians are the ones who didn't live past their 30s or 40s. That kind of racket is not music‚ it kills! It is violence of sound!

117. I feel this World has definitely come to its limit & God has got to stop it soon before they destroy themselves utterly! This World is beginning to be a Hell–pit, full of Hell, Hell on Earth, hellish fiends of people! And He's got to stop it soon or they will destroy themselves utterly! They will destroy the environment, the ecology, the people, the children & their minds! They've got Hell in schools‚ Hell on the streets, Hell amongst the gangs, Hell on drugs, Hell in music, Hell in movies! You can hardly look anywhere without seeing Hell on Earth!—Horrible! I don't see how this Hell on Earth can go on much longer!

FINAL WITNESS IN THE WEST!

118. What do you think this World deserves after it's been given all the chances that it's had? What do you think the USA deserves after all of our preaching & witnessing there, distribution of literature & all that we did to try to witness to them?—Even when we were first there, as well as the smaller continuing witness by people who didn't leave the U.S. or couldn't or have now gone back to it.

119. We've now got a lot of our folks back home in the USA & Canada. We've got nearly twice as many of them back in Europe. I believe this is our last witness, & then cometh sudden destruction! Maybe the Lord will be merciful & give them until the end of this year. But I'll tell you what, all the honest economic prophets are saying that it just cannot go on.—Somethin's gotta give!

AMERICA'S ECONOMIC CRISIS—THE BIG CRASH IS COMING!

120. Several things are already giving. Hundreds of savings & loan banks have now failed & gone out of business, taking billions of Dollars with them, which the government guaranteed & therefore has to pay. They have an agency of the government that Franklin Delano Roosevelt formed when I was young, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, that insured depositors to make sure that if the banks fail again, they won't take all their money with them. Back then it only insured them up to $10,000 per customer, per depositor. Do you know how high the federal government insurance goes now?—How much of each depositor's money they promise to pay him if the bank goes broke?—$100,000 apiece!

121. Savings & loan associations were originally supposed to have the very best kind of security, usually mortgages on property & homes, which is considered to be solid gold security, safe security so that they couldn't lose. If you didn't pay back your loan they took your house, & were money ahead. The loan, the mortgage on your house may have only been a few thousand, but they take back the whole thing! It was supposed to make money. Because they were such safe investments, they paid very low interest, usually only about 3 or 4%.

122. But just a short time ago the federal government let them loose & took the restrictions off & let them invest in anything, high risk investments‚ & now they're paying the fiddler.—But it's the federal government of the USA that is paying the fiddler! These hundreds of failing savings & loan banks are going to cost the federal government at least one hundred billion Dollars to bail them out! And because a lot of big banks had invested in these riskier home loan outfits, they're going to go down too.

123. Hundreds of big American banks have already failed, but they've tried to keep it quiet. But now they're coming out in the open & they're telling the American public that if something isn't done about all these banks failing, businesses are going to fail, the stock market's going to fail again, & worst of all, if the federal government can't pay its own debts‚ its deficit, the whole system will crash!

124. They keep talking about the budget deficit which is 300 billion Dollars of the nearly one trillion Dollars that the federal government has now allotted for its annual budget. The budget has now climbed up to where the military alone wants 300 billion Dollars a year!—So that the federal budget is now one trillion Dollars every year, & about 300 billion of it is deficit!—In other words, it's being borrowed & they're unable to pay it back. The federal government of the USA is going 300 billion Dollars more in debt every year so that the total federal debt right now amounts to almost 3 trillion Dollars!

125. These are the kind of numbers you can't even comprehend! But it's so much that to pay it off, every single man, woman & child in the USA would have to pay out tens of thousands of Dollars‚ which they haven't got & will never have! The USA alone is trillions of Dollars in debt which they will never be able to pay, so that the USA is now the biggest debtor in the World! It owes more money than any other country in the World, & the sad part about it is it owes most of it to foreign countries.—And no doubt to the [ACs] who run the whole System.

126. Dear Bush has been warned that if he can't solve the problem of the deficit, how to pay back these foreign countries that have loaned billions to the USA, their confidence is going to be shaken in the country's ability to repay. And when you find out that it looks like your bank is failing‚ what do you do? (Family: Get your money out.) You get your money out as fast as you can!

127. The big money boys who saw the stock market was going to go down, in fact, made it go down, they suddenly pulled all their money out a week or two before the Crash. They're not the ones who lost, it was the little guys who lost, the ones who didn't see the handwriting on the wall.

128. It's on every side, every bit of news, the so-called gross national product‚ the GNP of the USA is falling again. The housing market is falling, cars are down‚ steel has already gone bankrupt. For a long time it was kind of a gentleman's agreement in the media not to scare people‚ not to talk about it, hush-hush because you'll cause a panic & that makes it worse, then everybody goes & pulls their money out of all the banks & all the businesses go bust & everything goes down into another Great Depression.

129. It's coming! And as I've told you before, I don't see how it could go beyond this year! And now many other economic prophets are saying the same thing—something's gotta bust, something's gotta give if they don't solve the problem. And they can't solve the problem, there's no way to solve the problem! The U.S. has spent more than it could pay & now they don't know where to get it.

130. Some are now saying it can't go beyond this year. Some have predicted it's going to happen this year, the Crash, The Crash, the big Crash! Frankly, I am expecting it this year. I'm not predicting it‚ I'm not saying it, but I just have that kind of gut feeling because I don't see how it can go on any longer! The ecology has been wrecked, the environment's been wrecked, I've put story after story in the WND saying that He's got to come soon. He's gotta stop it soon. It can't go on much longer. He's gotta come soon or people are just going to ruin the Earth!

131. They've already ruined & wrecked the economy. Just because it's shakily standing up on a few props & hasn't yet completely fallen, some people are still trying to wishfully think that it'll never fall, it couldn't happen, "It just can't happen, such a collapse, such a calamity! Such a catastrophe can't happen or the whole World would go down!" Of course it will! But because they don't want it to happen they just figure it can't happen because it would be horrible!—And it will be. Well, we've said all these things before.

132. All I can say is this: I think things are winding up & that it's about to happen‚ & I have a feeling that it'll probably happen this year. Even most economists say it cannot wait any longer than 1990. It's either got to happen this year or next year. When do you think the World deserves to have it happen? It's a judgement of God! Of course, it's the reaping of what they've sowed, their own foolishness, their own lust, their own greed, their own cruelty & selfishness against the poor of the rest of the World.

133. If it happens this year, do you think the World deserves it? (Fam: Yes.) Don't you think it's time from all you've seen & heard? Sodomites are running loose all over the place‚ Sodomy's being glorified on movies & television & in music & in every way. They're even forming huge organisations, influencing laws to benefit themselves & declare them handicapped so they can get benefits‚ pensions‚ etc.—Exalting Sodomy!—If not as a handicap‚ even as a virtue! Don't you think it's time for God to judge this Earth? He's already judging it!

134. It's coming! It's got to come soon, one way or the other! If the economy doesn't go bust, it'll be the ecology & the environment from pollution! We're having what some could call a religious crisis, a character crisis as well! Man himself has become polluted, Man has become corrupted, Man is about to collapse! He can't stand much more of this. Society is going to collapse because of the corruption of Man‚ the corruption of families, the corruption of children by evil, by the horrors of this present generation! People can't stand any more, society can't stand any more. Society itself is going to collapse, not only the economy, the entire society!

135. What do you think they're going to do when they see that they are absolutely doomed? (Fam: Look for a saviour!) They're already looking for a saviour! They rejected Jesus & God, they don't want that kind of Saviour. They want a saviour that can let them still be as wicked as possible, yet still save them, pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, saved by a man, & that's what's going to happen.

136. So how do I see it? You know, you've been taught it, you know what the events are. Let me ask you.—What do you think's going to happen next? (Fam: The Crash.) Well, in a way‚ we've had the Crash. Let's start talking about the new Great Depression. Things have been crashing for a long time. I've been preaching the Crash for 20 years! Gold started shooting up a long time ago & the Dollar started going down a long time ago.

137. Let's call it the Great Crash or the Greatest Depression, the Greater Depression, the Worst Depression. That has not really happened yet, but is happening right now! The farmers have gone bankrupt, the banks are going bankrupt. The steel industry's already gone bankrupt, & the next thing that usually goes bankrupt is the automobile industry. Then the housing industry, one of the necessities of life is going to go bankrupt, & it's already going down. Right now, the housing market in the U.S. is down 20%!

138. These are all the criteria which I remember & studied & was taught back in the first Great Depression. First the stock market crashed‚ then the banks crashed, then the steel industry went bust, then the car industry went bust, then the housing industry went bust & finally businesses went bust & everything went bust! And it happened from the end of October 1929, Black Monday, to the very depths of '32. That's when things got the worst & people were ready for a saviour, no matter who he was! It didn't matter if he'd bring liquor back, it didn't matter if he'd recognise Russia & his wife was a Communist. It didn't matter who the hell he was, they wouldn't have cared if he was Satan himself!—And a lot of people thought he was.

139. They elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It didn't matter if he wanted to get the U.S. into another World War which they said they never wanted again & promised they never would get into again. …

140. They were willing to elect anybody who would promise to save them out of their misery & out of the horror of the Depression & bring them through.—Anybody who could get them a job, anybody who would pay them anything. They were willing to go to work in a job counting nuts on the trees for a Dollar a day.—"Make work" ideas, just doing things that didn't really have to be done but just to give them something to do & for the federal government to print more money to pay them money so they could live. Of course, you could live on a Dollar a day then.

AFTER THE CRASH, THE AC REVEALED!

141. So what are the people going to do when it happens? They're going to look for a saviour. Not long ago‚ a former head of NATO, Paul Spaak, said, "We would receive the Devil himself if he could save us out of this mess we're in!" And that's exactly what they're going to do.

142. But before they can receive him what's he got to do? (Fam: Reveal himself.) Exactly. I'm expecting the economy to collapse & then the [ACs] are going to trot him out, reveal him. Through signs & wonders & miracles & whatnot—maybe even economic miracles‚ political miracles, all kinds of miracles he could do—he will win the allegiance of the World. I wouldn't be surprised he'll be revealed this year.

143. "Oh, Dad, you've said that so many times, & you're always saying that!" Well, what do you think? Do you think it could go on much longer? (Fam: No.) Don't you think it's already crashing? The System has already crashed, it's collapsing. In fact, it's already collapsed. It's only being propped up with false props & phoney promises. But when it pops‚ it will really pop! When I pointed my finger at that Green Pig balloon, the Dollar, it really collapsed! (See No.243.) Do you think it's collapsed already?—You ain't seen nothin' yet!

144. When I was in that bank building & I began to grow like Alice in Wonderland & the bank began to explode, what do think that meant? (Fam: The banks are going to collapse.) Exactly. You mean I could have actually had something to do with all this‚ putting a pin in their Dollar‚ in their balloon?—I helped to bring their banks to collapse? Well, I wouldn't be surprised! Some of our predictions have no doubt helped push it along. God wants it to happen, & the sooner the better! I think a lot of people have believed us & more people are believing us all the time now.

145. I don't see how this World is going to go through another year without the great collapse! Maybe that's a good name for it. Then the only thing that's going to save it from total destruction, chaos & absolute anarchy is the Antichrist. So he will have to appear soon. "When does he appear, Dad?—I thought you always taught us that he appeared at the beginning of the seven years of his seven-year reign when he makes the contract, the pact, the Covenant."

ISRAEL & JERUSALEM!

146. Well, do you see what's happening right now in Israel about Jerusalem? The Palestinians are demanding their country back & they say they've got to have Jerusalem‚ their ancient capital. It was an all-Arab city until a few Jews started moving in not long ago. How are they going to solve that problem? The Jews are going to be forced to give up half of the country to the Palestinians‚ & they will certainly have to be forced to give up Jerusalem!—And I think there's only one solution, there can't be any other, they'll have to internationalise the city.

147. That's the only way they're going to solve that problem & the only way they're ever going to do it is by force! And I think the only one who's going to have the guts to make them do it is the Antichrist when he gets fed up with them & nothing else works! I've always interpreted & taught that in order for the Antichrist to reign for seven years, he'd have to be revealed at the beginning of the seven. But we don't really know that.

148. I believe he's reigning right now behind the scenes & already running things! In fact, it looks to me like his people have been running the World for the last 40 years!—Ever since World War 2! But if he is running the World right now, he could be running it without necessarily being revealed yet, without them revealing their man.

WHAT IF THE AC'S POST-CRASH REVELATION BEGINS THE GREAT TRIBULATION?!

149. What if it's not as we supposed & as we thought & as nearly every Bible teacher proclaimed‚ that he would be revealed at the beginning of his seven-year reign? Remember, the Tribulation begins in the middle, after the first 3-1/2 years. So maybe he won't really be revealed until he declares himself not only the saviour of the World but its god, at the beginning of the Great Tribulation!

150. That's a possibility!—What if? If that's the case, he doesn't have to be revealed until the end of the first 3-1/2 years, just in time to demand that the World receive him. He will demand that they worship him as God, & destroy all their other religions.—And he will not save them unless they do.—In other words, he would not have to be revealed until the beginning of the Tribulation.

151. What do you think? What do you think's going to happen? Well, we know the economy is collapsing & it's eventually going to happen. Even most of the economists are now predicting it, they say it's got to happen.

152. He's got to be the one who reveals himself to save it.—And that doesn't necessarily have to be at the beginning of his seven years if he's already been running the World for the last 3-1/2 years from behind the scenes! His revelation doesn't really have to come until the middle of the seven years. That's when he has got to appear not only as the World's saviour, but also to insist that he's their god!

THE TEMPLE!—LITERAL?—OR SPIRITUAL?

153. The Jews want to rebuild their temple, but what if that is not the temple that the Lord meant when He said, "Who sitteth in the temple of God, saying that he is God."—2Thes.2:4. Even my Father believed that it wasn't going to be a literal temple rebuilt by the Jews. Now, I've always believed that they'd do that because some of those prophecies are pretty specific & sound pretty literal. For example, how could he stop the oblation of sacrifice if it didn't start?—Dan.8:11; 9:27; 11:31. But maybe that's spiritual? The Lord says that your body is the temple, your heart is the temple of the Holy Ghost, "Ye are the temple!"—1Cor.3:16; 6:19.

154. If the people are the temple, even those who pretend to be the temple of God, if he is going to capture their faith & their worship, he is going to sit in their temple!—A spiritual temple even if it's not a literal temple! If that's true, then we don't even have to wait for the Jews to rebuild the old temple, although they could still do it.—"What If?!" They say they can do it in nine months, & the fanatical, radical Jews, extremist Orthodox Jews of Israel are already demanding that the government let them rebuild their temple. The only reason they haven't done it yet is because they're afraid they'd really have a war with all the Arabs around them!

155. Well‚ maybe they want to do it on a certain time schedule so they can bring him into the temple when it's finished & start his worship. Well, at least that gives you a few things to think about!

THIS YEAR COULD BE IT!

156. All that to say, I believe it can happen this year, that the Great Collapse could come, & then they present him as the one who can save the World if they worship him!—"Fall down & worship me & I'll save you! Fall down & worship me!" Isn't that what the Devil tried to do with Jesus?—"Fall down & worship me & I'll give you the World!"—Lk.4:6,7.—All he has to do is show some signs & wonders to prove that he can do it.—Rev.13:3,4,13‚14. "Okay, fine‚ I'll do it, I'll save you, I'll save the World if you all just fall down & worship me!" That could happen this year!—Because the whole World could collapse this year & they will need saving & be ready & willing to receive anybody who they think can save them!

157. So this could be it! You say, "So what‚ Dad? What's that mean to me?—What's that mean to us?" Well, you ought to know, you've read the Bible, you've studied it enough! If the AC reveals himself this year‚ demanding the World's worship, then what will then begin this year according to Bible prophecies? (Fam: The beginning of the Tribulation!) Exactly!

158. Does the World deserve it? Do you think it's about time for it? (Fam: Yes, Sir!) It's got to happen soon in order to stop everything else that's happening! The Antichrist is going to be good for the World at first. He's not going to let all of this junk go on that's happening now. He's got to stop the corruption & he's got to stop the wickedness‚ he's got to stop the crime‚ he's got to control the economy. He's got to stop today's insanity in order to save the World!

159. Time & again you've seen what I've said on some of these WND articles, "He's gotta come soon! He's gotta stop it soon!"—And of course you're always thinking I'm talking about the Lord. Well, I am. But you could just as easily apply it to the Antichrist, he's gotta come soon too! He's gotta stop it soon or everything would destroy itself. He's the only one who can save it.—"I'll save you if you'll all fall down & worship me!"

160. Do you think they'd be willing to pay that price? It wouldn't even faze most of them! They'd love to pay that price, they'd love to worship a new leader who can save them! They're already worshipping all kinds of other gods, why not the Antichrist, a man who'd do them some good? Why, they'll receive him just like that! I don't think he's going to have any problem of being received or getting most people to worship him!

161. So I'm just telling you, I believe with all my heart it could happen this year, 1989!—The collapse, the revelation of the Antichrist, his demanding worship, total allegiance as his price to save the World, & then his utter cruelty & terrible tyranny & reign of terror, the Great Tribulation to enforce it!

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!

162. So what does it mean to us? Well, what do you think we should do about it? If it's going to start this year, what are you going to do? What do you think we should do about it? (Peter: Keep doing what we're doing, just do more of it.) Just keep right on doing what we're doing as long as we can do it, & trust the Lord to take care of us, amen? (Fam: Amen!) PTL! We're doing what the World really needs‚ we're offering them a Saviour that can really save them, not just from these troubles which are little troubles by comparison to the trouble they're going to have—Hell!—And save them for Eternity.

163. We've got the best job in the World, trying to save the World, those who will receive it, receive Him, & He can really save them forever! PTL? The Lord will make a way. He'll make a way where there is no way. He always has! It's literally miraculous that we're still alive & still miraculously doing our job. If you've read these year's-end stats, you'll see what I mean!—Better than ever, amen?

164. Here I've been preaching all this doom & destruction all these 20 years, & instead of that, things keep getting better for us, PTL! Well, the rest is still happening to the World though, & it's getting worse & worse. But thank God the worse it gets, the sooner it's going to get better, the sooner He'll come! PTL! Hallelujah! TYJ! Amen. Hallelujah!

165. So keep on doing what you're doing because I like what you're doing for me! There's an old song like that, it didn't have exactly those words but something like that. So let's keep on doing what we're doing because He likes what you're doing for Him! And I like what you're doing for Him! PTL! Thank You Lord! TYJ!

166. Amen, Lord‚ perhaps that's a dark picture in a way, but in other ways‚ Lord‚ it brings it all so much closer & sooner, & as far as we're concerned‚ Lord‚ the sooner the better. "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!"—Rev.22:20. And for You to come soon You've got to get him to come soon, so it can't be much longer. TYJ! PTL! Hallelujah! Amen. TYJ!

DAD'S "SEVENTY YEARS"—PLUS MORE??

167. Some of you may wonder, "Well, Dad, there's one more little point, what's going to happen when you die?—You're supposed to die this year‚ in fact, you're supposed to die next month!" Well, that's the way I interpreted it. But as I've said before, what if that just meant that I was going to live at least that long? What if by reason of great strength the Lord gives me another ten years? He gave Hezekiah 15 more years when he prayed, even though it had been prophesied that he was to die.—Isa.38:1-5. So it's quite possible. If you want me, if you need me, then you'll just have to pray that I won't die my next birthday, but that I'll live a little longer‚ PTL?

168. I kind of have a little sneaking feeling that I just might make it because I see how much you need me. God help poor Mama & poor Peter carrying this big load all by themselves! Well, they could do it, the Lord could speak through them just as well as me. I don't know, maybe He wouldn't speak so long & keep you up so late, you might be better off with me out of the way! (Fam: No!) Are you sure? (Fam: Positively!)—Without me always having you praying for me for this & praying for me for that.—Dad's choking again or Dad's got the runs again, or Grandpa's having a heart attack or he's having a bad night again—always something!

169. I don't know what I'd do without you guys around to pray for me. I have so many problems & troubles & afflictions & sicknesses. I've almost died so many times already, & I would have if you hadn't prayed real hard for me. Just think how much time you'd save if you didn't have me around to have to pray for all the time! Maybe that's part of your trial & testing, to test your faith.—Your faith in the Lord, your faith in me.

170. Sometimes I get a little annoyed at Mama always calling on you every time I have the slightest little bit of difficulty. She always calls on you to pray, & if she thinks it's a little bit serious she not only calls on you, she calls around the World to get all the rest of them praying. (Fam: It works, TTL!) Well it does, it really does! I've got to admit it although I do get a little annoyed & embarrassed that she's always having to call on you to pray for me for one thing or another that I've got or I've done or whatever.

171. Well‚ I must admit it does work, & she knows it works, that's why she does it. Even if I don't want her to, I say, "No, no, don't bother them, they've got enough things to worry about. I'll be over this soon, don't worry about it! Just give me a little time." She says, "No, I'm not going to take a chance, I'm going to call them right now!"

172. That's one time when she disobeys me, when I ask her to please not call on you & bother you about praying for me. That's one disobedience that I haven't been able to cure her of, the only time when she really disobeys me is when I need prayer. She just goes right ahead & calls on you anyhow. She usually goes out of the room somewhere else where I can't catch her & can't fuss at her & calls from some other room or gets somebody else to go call you together. But it sure has worked, TTL! PTL! Amen. Would someone lead us in prayer?

173. (Peter closes in prayer: TYL! Thank You so much for what's ahead, Jesus, for Dad, Thy Prophet, Lord, who speaks to show us what is happening to prepare us & to prepare our hearts & to really inspire us to do more while we can, Lord. Help us to do all that we can to reach the World with Your message‚ Lord, this message of what is coming. Please do bless the Family as they spread this news abroad, as they continue to faithfully witness. Bless & strengthen them all. And we thank You for this time, Lord. Bless us all now as we go to sleep, Lord, please protect us & keep us as You have‚ & really do strengthen us all with a good night's rest. TYL!)

174. I think a good title for this would be "It Can Happen Now!" because it could‚ it really could! I know I've said some of these things before, & they didn't happen. But it could happen now! I know I've even said, "Well, maybe we're in the Tribulation already." But I think that was sort of wishful thinking because things are not that bad yet & the things that must happen at the beginning of that have not really happened yet. But I have a feeling it could be now, the beginning of Great Tribulation! Not just the beginning of sorrows‚ we've had those for centuries.—It could happen now!

175. But we can still pray His Prayer, right? Hallelujah! TYJ! PTL! (Prays the Lord's Prayer.) Amen. TYL! Funny thing, it struck me as we prayed that just now, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," & I was thinking of the Tribulation. The Tribulation will be a great temptation for many people to yield to the Monster‚ to the Beast‚ especially a lot of the churches & church people who are pretty weak in faith & knowledge of God's Word.

176. I think a lot of people are going to be willing to pay the price, take the Mark of the Beast just to try to save themselves because their convictions are not that strong. Good night‚ they've gone this long serving the Devil, why couldn't they make another compromise to keep on saving themselves? So Lord, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil!"—You could even do that, Lord, in the midst of the Tribulation, lead us not into temptation. You promised You wouldn't let us be tempted above what we're able to bear, deliver us from evil. I believe He's going to do it. (Fam: Amen!) PTL! TYJ! GBY all!

177. Although we didn't have time for your hopes & your verses & all, my hope is that at the end of this year I'll still be with you. (Fam: Amen!) GBAKY! ILY!

P.S. What if the Earthshaking event nearly all seers are predicting for Nov. '89 is the Revelation of the AC after the Crash? But then he would have begun his reign in '86 & surely there would have been some sign of it!—There was!: He came quietly—like Halley's Comet?!!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family